dead rising impressions

[jester1176]

Ok, i know some of you have to have this game. So, put down your controller long enough for a quick post on how the game is so far. Please, though, no spoilers!

 

[JethroXP]

Ok, i know some of you have to have this game. So, put down your controller long enough for a quick post on how the game is so far. Please, though, no spoilers!

The full game is every bit as fun as the Demo. Though I actually find that I kill fewer Zomies in the full game because I now have a time limited goal I'm working toward.

The Save feature took a little getting used to. I didn't realize at first that "Save and Exit" when I died meant save my current status (level and abilities) but quit the game entirely and force me to start over again from the beginning (though with the same level an abilities that I had already earned). That was a bit annoying. You can save as often as you like, but you can only do it in certain locations, such as bathrooms and the security office. Also, you are only allowed one save file per memory device. That's probably my only complaint, but once you figure it out it really becomes a non-issue.

Some people may find the number of cutscenes at the beginning to be excessive, but they do convey a lot of information and set the tone for the game. Plus if you do start over you can quickly by-pass them.

Over all, I'm still extremely pleased with this game. I didn't hesitate a bit about spending $60 on it, and I have zero regrets, this is an awesome game. If you enjoyed the demo, you'll enjoy the full game as well.

 

[PoweredBySoy]

The game is great. And Jethro is correct - it's not a free-for-all-zombie-kill-fest like the demo was. Well, it is... but there are objectives you need to work towards. And overall, that makes the game much harder. Make no mistake, it's a challenging game.

The save system is a little harsh, but since when has Capcom made saving easy?

If you enjoyed the demo at all, you will like the full version. Just expect a much harder version of that where you're running your ass around all the time.

Not sure if you saw it or not, but Gamespot has a pretty good video review up:
http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/deadrising/review.html

 

[swatbat]

Make no mistake, it's a challenging game.
The save system is a little harsh, but since when has Capcom made saving easy?

Challenging yes. I am about ready to give up on the game after 20 or 30 minutes. The first shoot out where you try to save brad is driving me nuts. I just can't seem to kill him. Anyone got any ideas they would like to share?

 

[JustinSane]

Challenging yes. I am about ready to give up on the game after 20 or 30 minutes. The first shoot out where you try to save brad is driving me nuts. I just can't seem to kill him. Anyone got any ideas they would like to share?

I just died there and now I have to start over from beginning.

Is it incredibly hard to read things on the screen for anyone else? I think they are trying to push me into buying an HDTV.

 

[JethroXP]

Challenging yes. I am about ready to give up on the game after 20 or 30 minutes. The first shoot out where you try to save brad is driving me nuts. I just can't seem to kill him. Anyone got any ideas they would like to share?

I defeated him in about 10 seconds. Remember where the SMG was in the Demo? It's still there in the full game too. Grab it before heading across the park to meet Brad. When you get up to where Carlito (or what ever his name is) is at, wait around the corner until he gets close and then unload on him with the SMG. It takes about 30+ rounds, but it goes quick.

I just died there and now I have to start over from beginning.

Is it incredibly hard to read things on the screen for anyone else? I think they are trying to push me into buying an HDTV.

Yeah, I played at work on a Standard Def TV and found the text incredibly small, to the point that I couldn't read most of it before it disappeared from the screen. On my HDTV at home it was a huge improvement. I didn't even realize until I got home that Frank's watch has a "Day" indicator on it. This is definitely one of those games that was developed with HDTV in mind. Still though, it seems like they probably made the text a lot smaller than they needed to.

 

[swatbat]

I just died there and now I have to start over from beginning.

Is it incredibly hard to read things on the screen for anyone else? I think they are trying to push me into buying an HDTV.

Yea that is a huge issue for me as well. I have a 32 inch samsung lcd that will be in tommorrow for the front room but I never really play my 360 there. I also play my friends a bunch who don't have hdtv.

My main issues with the game so far.

1. The first big fight when you need to save Brad is too freaking hard. I mean I think pretty much every boss in RE4 was easer then this. Hell I can think of a few games where the end boss was not this hard. I have to be missing something here......

2. Picking up the radio means you can't do shit untill they are done talking to you. Not really happy with this.

3. WTF with the onscreen text. You can't read it on a normal tv is you sit back like you normally would.

4. So far the computer players seem to be pretty stupid. The first 2 people you save right away could not figure out how to follow me the second time I tried(after dieing).

The 30 max picture thing kinda sucks too. I would love to plow through a few thousand pics. I know you drop you case in the beginning but fuck your in a mall. Memory cards/film should be easy to find. Also the load time sucks but so far hasn't been a big deal.

The good:

1. Killing the zombies is fun and you can spend a bunch of time doing it.

2. Graphics are pretty good and you can get a bunch of people onscreen at once.

3. Overall the controls don't seem that bad.

4. Maybe not good for some but I like how you can hit/hurt computer controlled humans. Make it a little harder.

 

[swatbat]

I defeated him in about 10 seconds. Remember where the SMG was in the Demo? It's still there in the full game too. Grab it before heading across the park to meet Brad. When you get up to where Carlito (or what ever his name is) is at, wait around the corner until he gets close and then unload on him with the SMG. It takes about 30+ rounds, but it goes quick.

I was thinking about the SMG after I gave up for the night wondering if it was still there. I'll have to try that. I was using the pistol and was pretty pissed after a few head shots did nothing.

 

[JethroXP]

I was thinking about the SMG after I gave up for the night wondering if it was still there. I'll have to try that. I was using the pistol and was pretty pissed after a few head shots did nothing.

I've also heard from a few people who used the hunting knife or cleaver, basically one of the really fast blade weapons, and got in real close to melee him.

 

[swatbat]

I've also heard from a few people who used the hunting knife or cleaver, basically one of the really fast blade weapons, and got in real close to melee him.

Tried the cleaver. Got a good hit on him they he kicked me back and unloaded a clip into me. Had one bar of health left and me managed to pick me off from accross the area when I ran for food. I'll tell you that fuckers aim is too good as well. I like the SMG idea and since someone has tried it that will be my next attempt tommorrow night. This still does not forgive the game for being so hard right off the bat. If I hadn't played the demo a bunch it would be impossible. The only game I can think of that was this hard right away was Milon's Secret Castle for the NES. I remember being younger and never being able to get past the first boss to get to the second level(had to start over if you died and it took a while to figure out how to get the boss to come back)

 

[zero002021]

I have to agree with everyone else in regards to the save system. It's completely whack, they should let you restart after the last cut-scene in the game instead of forcing you to reload your game or completely start over. Otherwise, I really don't have any complaints. I'm running on an HDTV so I don't have any problems with hard to read text, and the graphics are nice and sharp. Of course, the game itself is loads of fun. I can't wait to finish the 72-hour mode and unlock the mode that allows you to just wander around the mall and do whatever you want to. That's when the real fun begins.

EDIT: Forget to mention the games difficulty. It's pretty hard at the begining, I got to the first fight against Carlito and got owned. However, I have a feeling that once we get deeper into the game and level Frank up a bit we won't have as much trouble as we're having now, so stick with it guys.

 

[swatbat]

EDIT: Forget to mention the games difficulty. It's pretty hard at the begining, I got to the first fight against Carlito and got owned. However, I have a feeling that once we get deeper into the game and level Frank up a bit we won't have as much trouble as we're having now, so stick with it guys.

Unless it keeps getting harder at the same rate. Yea I really hope that the unlimited mode is not a bitch to unlock.

 

[amdgamer]

I'm honestly getting frustrated with this game. There is nothing wrong with a game being challenging, but it stops interesting me when it get's frustrating. I finally beat the first boss battle, and I was getting ready to pull my hair out. I also seem to have a lot of trouble rescueing people as their AI are dumb as hell. They keep dying while I am trying to save them. I was hoping this game was going to be a good hack and slash game, but it's a lot harder than that. What's also frustrating is how the various psycho like the first boss and the prisoners in the humvee have unlimited ammo. That makes it incredibly unfair as your ammo is definately limited. I also wish that there were easier ways to save the game. There were numerous times when I was down to a single bar of health, which made it really tense trying to get to a save point, or at least find food. What's also really hard is trying to aim a firearm. The controls are counter-intuitive and you can't even change them. It was also frustrating that you couldn't move or strafe side to side while trying to aim your gun. It would have been much easier and nicer if aiming a firearm was done like a regular FPS type game.

I've also ran into a few bugs as well, with the most significant one being the battle against the prisoners in the humvee in the park. As I was fighting them, it turned to 7pm and they just magically disappeared after the cutscene.

 

[JethroXP]

I'm honestly getting frustrated with this game. There is nothing wrong with a game being challenging, but it stops interesting me when it get's frustrating. I finally beat the first boss battle, and I was getting ready to pull my hair out. I also seem to have a lot of trouble rescueing people as their AI are dumb as hell. They keep dying while I am trying to save them. I was hoping this game was going to be a good hack and slash game, but it's a lot harder than that. What's also frustrating is how the various psycho like the first boss and the prisoners in the humvee have unlimited ammo. That makes it incredibly unfair as your ammo is definately limited. I also wish that there were easier ways to save the game. There were numerous times when I was down to a single bar of health, which made it really tense trying to get to a save point, or at least find food. What's also really hard is trying to aim a firearm. The controls are counter-intuitive and you can't even change them. It was also frustrating that you couldn't move or strafe side to side while trying to aim your gun. It would have been much easier and nicer if aiming a firearm was done like a regular FPS type game.

I've also ran into a few bugs as well, with the most significant one being the battle against the prisoners in the humvee in the park. As I was fighting them, it turned to 7pm and they just magically disappeared after the cutscene.

The Save system is pissing me off too, because I can see now how you can totally "save" yourself into a hole, some situation where it's basically impossible to continue from.

Anyway, that complaint aside, I am finding that the SMG in Paradise Plaza has been key to my defeat of the various psychopaths I've encountered. It seems to respawn, so I've never had any trouble getting it. I was just on Case 2-2 where you meet Carlito again, but this time he has a sniper rifle. I simply used the SMG to pump him full of lead. If you time your shots well and position yourself parallel to him, he will either be facing away at Brad, or if he is facing you if you shoot him it disrupts his shot at you.

 

[jester1176]

wow, got the game tonight, and while its fun, the save system really blows chunks...

here's hoping they realize the error of their ways and do something to change it. if not...meh. this makes me sad.

 

[Icetron]

It sure is great game to go apeshit on when you've had a crappy day. I felt much better after going batshit crazy in the mall with the hidden Katana and sledgehammer for nearly 15 minutes straight.

I'll pick it up if I have any money left from vacation two weeks from now.

 

[FluxCap]

Good impressions guys, sounds like a rental. I agree it could be fun after a long hard day to bash/slice/pummel zombies.

 

[swatbat]

Good impressions guys, sounds like a rental. I agree it could be fun after a long hard day to bash/slice/pummel zombies.

After playing the demo and hell just seeing the videos it was a must buy. After playing it yea it is a rent first or borrow from a friend.

 

[ThirtySixBelow]

http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20060809made me laugh I'm assuming he was referring to this game.

 

[Lamont]

Save system is fine and it makes sense. Gives people a chance to beef up in the begining.

 

[amdgamer]

http://cad-comic.com/comic.php?d=20060809made me laugh I'm assuming he was referring to this game.

Oh man, that's hilarious! For some reason, I still can't stand the real Frank West in the game.

Jethro, thanks for letting me know that the SMG respawns. That is definately going to help me out hopefully. I just wish that each weapon had a little long life. It's so disappointing when you are in the middle of a mob of zombies whacking away, when the weapon breaks on you. I think i'm going to start this game over just to have a chance to beef up some more.

Out of curiosity, has anyone beaten this game yet? I'm curious what the overtime mode and the infinity mode is.

 

[Lamont]

What if I just let the timer go down and not do anything?

 

[arentol]

I agree the save system is a bit annoying. I got all the way to Brad, beat the boss, and then Brad got toasted while waiting for me by the next door. So the game effectively ended and I had to go all the way back to the couch at the beginning because I hadn't saved. Of course now I know better and save more often, so it's not too big a deal. But of course the chance of saving yourself into a situation that you can't escape is still annoying... But then it's only an 8 hour game, so restarting at a higher level is not that big a deal either.

I didn't find the first boss to be all that hard. I just hid alot, figured out his movement patterns, and then I was able to get some good shots in and eventually dropped him.

I did have to run to some of the restaurants for yogurt and milk and such, but only 1 time, so it wasn't that bad.

 

[JethroXP]

What if I just let the timer go down and not do anything?

The game ends in failure. You have to do certain things by a certain time. There are lots of optional side missions available too, so the trick is to not bite off more than you can chew (eww...nasty Zombie image came to mind). As long as you perform the required missions by the appropriate time, you'll "win" and unlock the other modes. The optional side missions are opportunities to get tons of Prestige Points, and level up in the process, as well as give you a reason to explore other parts of the mall.

 

[Lamont]

From 8pm Friday till 7am Monday, I will be AFKB till I finish Dead Rising!!

 

[JethroXP]

From 8pm Friday till 7am Monday, I will be AFKB till I finish Dead Rising!!

Clearly not a married man

 

[Technoob]

how much playtime do you anticipate getting out of this?

 

[JethroXP]

how much playtime do you anticipate getting out of this?

A lot

I've got about 7 hours in it right now, and I'm only about 10% through the main story mode. After that there are two other modes that unlock, one being an infinity mode, so I think there is a ton of play time potential here.

 

[Bop]

It is almost impossible to get all the cases in the beginning, I missed the Out of Control, Hatchen Man, and one or two more. I'm going to try again after I beat the game once, I'm up to lvl 27.

The super retarded AI is the main source of frustration, with the prisoners in the park a close second. It really sucks to lose a survivor, I lost 2 in the last mission I did because of those damn prisoners. Anyone know a way to deal with them?

Those problems aside, I'm loving the game. I only have 24hrs left so I'm taking a break till tomorrow. Later in the game you don't get bombarded by scoops.

 

[amdgamer]

The best way to deal with those prisoners is to get behind a large tree. Sometimes, they'll get stuck on the other side of the the tree giving you the ability to blast them away from the cover of the tree. I'm not sure if they will respawn or not, but I hope not. I went for the gunner first, driver second, and then the mofo with the bat.

As for the possible infinity mode, I heard that your health is constantly being drained or something like that. Anyone unlock it yet?

 

[skittzle]

The best way to deal with those prisoners is to get behind a large tree. Sometimes, they'll get stuck on the other side of the the tree giving you the ability to blast them away from the cover of the tree. I'm not sure if they will respawn or not, but I hope not. I went for the gunner first, driver second, and then the mofo with the bat.

As for the possible infinity mode, I heard that your health is constantly being drained or something like that. Anyone unlock it yet?

ahhh nice Thanks, those guys are pissing me off.

 

[amdgamer]

ahhh nice Thanks, those guys are pissing me off.

Damnit, those frickin guys respawn. That's just plain annoying. It was hard enough beating them once, and i'm not even sure if I want to bother beating them again. I also wish that the zombies wouldn't respawn as quickly in the mall..................

 

[CasvalEpoch]

The best way to deal with those prisoners is to get behind a large tree. Sometimes, they'll get stuck on the other side of the the tree giving you the ability to blast them away from the cover of the tree. I'm not sure if they will respawn or not, but I hope not. I went for the gunner first, driver second, and then the mofo with the bat.

This is pretty much what I did the first time. Took 3 OJs and most of an SMG clip to do it. Felt real good getting rid of those guys for good, until later as I was going back through the courtyard, they had respawned...

I dunno if it's a bug or what, but they seemed to randomly respawn, even after I killed them. I finally found a tip from a website I can't remember, that if you destroy the hummer after you kill them, they don't respawn. So I went out, got em stuck on a tree, and killed the gunner. Then I ran up and took his gun(It's a SWEET gun, btw****SPOILER***used it to kill the clown****SPOILER****) and blasted the other two guys. I took the hummer over to the camping area where there's a propane tank and blew it up, still didn't destroy the thing. So I crashed it into a few trees and walls, still no luck. Finally, I got out and let loose with the big machine gun, finally saw smoke, which meant it was destroyed. Since then I've gone through the courtyard 3 or 4 times and haven't seen their return...

When I was fighting Carlito the second time, he ended up inside a store, and got real hard to get a bead on with my pistol. I was also running out of OJs and bullets, so I thought "Ugh screw this", used the "flying dodge" thing to get right up to him and started whacking away with my katana. Took off the rest of his HP(almost half) with just 2 hits. I also ended up killing Steven the grocery store guy with a scythe. Melee weapons 4TW I guess. I keep seeing all those moves on the loading screens too like Judo Throw and Karate Chop and Roundhouse Kick... If the guy ends up getting ALL of those, I'm gonna start going through the game weaponless, go all Bruce Lee on the zombies.

 

[PWMK2]

The save system isn't really new. If you've played a bunch of Metroid or Castlevania, you're used to save systems like this.

However, there are a few problems with Dead Rising I've come across...

1. The text. Like everyone else here has observed, reading the text while playing on an SDTV is very hard in some places.
2. Certain respawning enemies. Namely, the convicts on the technical. It would be really nice if you could just waste 'em and be done with that.
3. Some of the friendly AI can be stupid at times.

However, this is offset by the fact that the game is simply a blast as you move from mission to mission. This is one of the most entertaining games I've picked up this year. Thumbs up.

Now, does anyone have any tips for beating that #!@$!@$ing clown?

 

[Lamont]

Clearly not a married man

I married, with a kid . I just plan on playing the hell out of it. I kinda started early... on the second day now...

 

[JethroXP]

I beat the sniper family on my first attempt. At first I tried using the SMG, but at a distance it wasn't all that effective. Then I realized that it was taking multiple hits from their sniper rifles to do any real damage to me, so I decided to rush them with melee weapons. Tried the katana, but the swing is so wide they were able to dodge it pretty easy. The cleaver and hunting knife worked best, as I was able to run behind them (as they ran away from me) and just slash away. Not too hard at all.

I picked up all three sniper rifles thinking I'd use them on the convicts, but as it turns out, I as running from the humvee and ran into the covered picnic area and when they followed me in, the humvee got high-centered on a picnic table and they couldn't move. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, I simply walked around to each convict and popped a few rounds from the SMG into his head. Dead, dead, dead, just like that. Of course with the humvee high-centered I wasn't able to use it either, but it was a nice sense of accomplishment

I tried using the SMG to take out the Grocery Store dude, but he moves pretty fast, and is quick with that shotgun. I got him down about half way with the SMG, and then used the hunting knife to finish him off. Thankfully the there was a whole case of OJ right there, otherwise I'd never have been able to do it.

And finally, the first time I tried to rescue the chic in the wood crate with the psycho-priest and psycho followers, I got captured and died pretty quickly. Second attempt I used the SMG from a distance, much like a sniper rifle, taking well aimed single shots to the head. I killed all of them and still had over 50 rounds left.

I'm up to level 17 now, and it definitely feels like it's getting easier, or at least not as frustrating as it was at the beginning.

 

[JethroXP]

I married, with a kid . I just plan on playing the hell out of it. I kinda started early... on the second day now...

Me too, but I can't play until they both go to bed

 

[Justin Tevelde]

I've got to say, after getting to the Bomb Collector mission (24hrs to helicopter) that an option to ignore tranceiver calls would be a blessing. Trying to get through about a thousand zombies while avoiding getting eaten leaves little time to listen to "Some old guy is holed up in a shop!".... I could care less. Besides, the old guy would be far to stupid to just follow me through the crowd of zombies to safety. They always seem to want to fight

 

[JethroXP]

I've got to say, after getting to the Bomb Collector mission (24hrs to helicopter) that an option to ignore tranceiver calls would be a blessing. Trying to get through about a thousand zombies while avoiding getting eaten leaves little time to listen to "Some old guy is holed up in a shop!".... I could care less. Besides, the old guy would be far to stupid to just follow me through the crowd of zombies to safety. They always seem to want to fight

Yeah, now I know why there is an achievement for answering all of the transceiver calls. It's worse than a damn telemarketer, because you can't fight, you can't even jump, when you are talking with Otis. And if you do get interrupted, because oh I don't know, you need to save your own ass from being eaten by zombies, he calls *you* rude. What an asshat.

 

[Justin Tevelde]

I mean.. how hard would it be to press the "speaker" button?